Aboriginal group sues Qantas

Aboriginal group sues Qantas - The West Australian

Qantas says it will not tolerate behaviour that could compromise passenger safety, after facing legal action for allegedly kicking a group of Aboriginal men off a plane.

The eight men were on their way home to Kempsey, on the NSW mid-north coast, from an indigenous leadership program in Cairns, three years ago.

They claim they were thrown off the plane before it left Sydney, and are suing Qantas for damages, accusing the airline of false imprisonment.

The airline would not comment on the specifics of the case but said it would defend the claims in court.

It also denies any discrimination.

"Qantas has a zero-tolerance policy towards behaviour it believes could compromise the safety of anyone on our aircraft,” Qantas said in a statement.

"This policy is applied equally to all passengers.

"The men allegedly were locked in a bus parked on the tarmac for an hour-and-a-half, before being escorted back to the terminal.

It's alleged the men were told they could not travel as a group and would have to catch separate flights, in pairs, the following morning.A hearing for the case is set to take place in a Sydney court in August.